Catalog

Technical programme

IAC-15 — 66th International Astronautical Congress

C3. SPACE POWER SYMPOSIUM

Reliable energy systems continue to be key for all space missions. The future exploration and development of space depends on new, more affordable and more reliable energy sources of diverse types ranging from the very small to the extraordinarily large. Moreover, the continuing support for space activities by the public requires that these activities are increasingly inserted into the global challenge to transition current terrestrial energy systems into more environmentally friendly, sustainable ones. The space sector has traditionally served as cutting edge precursor for the development of some renewable power systems. These activities are now put into a much larger space & energy perspective. These range from joint technology development up to visionary concepts such as space solar power plants. The Space Power Symposium addresses all these aspects, covering the whole range from power generation, energy conversion & storage, power management, power transmission & distribution at system and sub-system levels including commercial considerations. It will include, but not be restricted, to topics such as advanced solar and nuclear systems for spacecraft power and propulsion, novel power generation and energy harvesting, and examine the prospects for using space-based power plants to provide energy remotely to the Earth or other planets.

Coordinator

Leopold Summerer
European Space Agency (ESA) — The Netherlands

Koji Tanaka
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency — Japan

C3.1. Space-Based Solar Power Architectures / Space & Energy Concepts

This session deals with all aspects of architectures and concepts for space-based solar power plants and concepts integrating space and terrestrial energy activities. It will be structured in two half-sessions, one focusing on advances in the field of space solar power plant architectures and one on activities in the field of space & energy, including all types of conceptual, technical and organisational progress to better integrate space and terrestrial energy activities. It is the primary international forum for scientific and technical exchanges on this topic and thus provides a unique common platform for discussions. Topically it will include all system-level, architectural, organisational and commercial aspects, including modelling and optimisation as well as related non-technical aspects.

Co-Chair

Leopold Summerer
European Space Agency (ESA) — The Netherlands

John C. Mankins
ARTEMIS Innovation Management Solutions, LLC — United States

Rapporteur

Nobuyuki Kaya
Kobe University — Japan

Koji Tanaka
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency — Japan

C3.2. Wireless Power Transmission Technologies, Experiments and Demonstrations

This session focuses on all aspects of wireless power transmission systems. It covers wireless power transmission technologies, including laser, microwave-based as well as novel wireless power transmission technologies from the short ranges (e.g. within spacecraft or between two surface installations) up the very large distances for space exploration and power transmission from space to ground. The session covers theoretical as well as applied and experimental results, including emitter/receiver antenna architectures and deployment.

Co-Chair

Nobuyuki Kaya
Kobe University — Japan

Frank Little
Texas A&M University — United States

Rapporteur: Massimiliano Vasile
University of Strathclyde — United Kingdom

C3.3. Advanced Space Power Technologies and Concepts

This session covers all type of advanced space power technologies and concepts. These include technologies and concepts related to power generation (solar, nuclear, other) and harvesting, power conditioning, management and distribution, energy storage, and energy generation. This session focuses on the power systems in the hundreds of watts and above, including large power systems for telecom spacecraft and novel power architectures for planetary, asteroid and lunar exploration scenarios up to MW size nuclear reactor systems.

Co-Chair

Carla Signorini
European Space Agency (ESA) — The Netherlands

Lee Mason
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Glenn Research Center — United States

Rapporteur

Matthew Perren
Airbus Defence & Space — United Kingdom

Koji Tanaka
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency — Japan

C3.4. Small and Very Small Advanced Space Power Systems

This session is devoted to emerging concepts of very small power systems typically below the tens of watts but including micro and milli-watt power harvesting technologies. While the space power market is still dominated by increasing power systems for large platforms, essentially telecom platforms, a dynamic market is emerging on the low power and low performance fringes of space in the form of nano-, micro and mini spacecraft. This session is dedicated to power systems for such applications as well as for very low power, long-duration exploration probes and sensors.

Co-Chair

Shoichiro Mihara
Japan Space Systems — Japan

Massimiliano Vasile
University of Strathclyde — United Kingdom

Rapporteur: Alex Ignatiev
— United States

C3.5-C4.7. Joint Session on Nuclear Power and Propulsion

This session, organised jointly between the Space Power and the Space Propulsion Symposium, includes papers addressing all aspects related to nuclear power and propulsion for space applications.

Co-Chair

Leopold Summerer
European Space Agency (ESA) — The Netherlands

Jacques Gigou
European Space Agency (ESA) — France

Rapporteur: George Schmidt
NASA Glenn Research Center — United States

C3.IP. Interactive Presentations

Coordinator

Leopold Summerer
European Space Agency (ESA) — The Netherlands

Koji Tanaka
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency — Japan